Comments on: Marriage and Children in Our New America http://newledger.com/2009/07/marriage-and-children-in-our-new-america/ The New Ledger on News, Politics, and Market issues of the day. Welcome to the Know. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:25:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Rich_Rostrom http://newledger.com/2009/07/marriage-and-children-in-our-new-america/comment-page-1/#comment-554 Rich_Rostrom Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:22:03 +0000 http://newledger.com/?p=14544#comment-554 Some things need to be understood here. First, the trend toward lower fertility is 200 years old. The 'baby boom' was a modest rebound from the bottom of the Depression years; even at its height fertility was still well below below 19th century levels.<br><br>Second, the declines are not just in the U.S. Fertility has declined over the last generation almost everywhere except sub-Saharan Africa and the most backward Moslem nations. (Other Moslem nations have had major declines.)<br><br>Marriage rates have declined as well, through much of industrialized world: both Europe and East Asia as well as the U.S.<br><br>There are strong drivers for this, but the ultimate one is choice. People are more free than ever before to choose marriage and parenthood - or not. Thus, a smaller proportion choose to marry and beget.<br><br>I think you are mistaken when you dismiss the effect of examples. Personal examples - the marital successes or failures of relatives and acquaintances - is only part of it. The depiction of marriage in popular culture is not encouraging. Women are continually warned against the dangers of abusive husbands; married men are depicted as buffoons, easily dominated and exploited. Reports of celebrity divorces are ubiquitous. It all makes people hang back; and no one is _pushing_. Some things need to be understood here. First, the trend toward lower fertility is 200 years old. The 'baby boom' was a modest rebound from the bottom of the Depression years; even at its height fertility was still well below below 19th century levels.

Second, the declines are not just in the U.S. Fertility has declined over the last generation almost everywhere except sub-Saharan Africa and the most backward Moslem nations. (Other Moslem nations have had major declines.)

Marriage rates have declined as well, through much of industrialized world: both Europe and East Asia as well as the U.S.

There are strong drivers for this, but the ultimate one is choice. People are more free than ever before to choose marriage and parenthood – or not. Thus, a smaller proportion choose to marry and beget.

I think you are mistaken when you dismiss the effect of examples. Personal examples – the marital successes or failures of relatives and acquaintances – is only part of it. The depiction of marriage in popular culture is not encouraging. Women are continually warned against the dangers of abusive husbands; married men are depicted as buffoons, easily dominated and exploited. Reports of celebrity divorces are ubiquitous. It all makes people hang back; and no one is _pushing_.

]]> By: Christian Olsen http://newledger.com/2009/07/marriage-and-children-in-our-new-america/comment-page-1/#comment-514 Christian Olsen Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:01:34 +0000 http://newledger.com/?p=14544#comment-514 I think that the either/or decision (women choosing to have a successful career or have a child and settle for less) will change as more women attain more and higher level positions in the workforce - positions that write policy on maternity leave, telecommuting, on-site or reimbursed day care, etc. I woud imagine this trend is already starting to have an effect. I think that the either/or decision (women choosing to have a successful career or have a child and settle for less) will change as more women attain more and higher level positions in the workforce – positions that write policy on maternity leave, telecommuting, on-site or reimbursed day care, etc. I woud imagine this trend is already starting to have an effect.

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